Mighty Avengers #16 — Nick Peron

Jun 13

Jun 13 Mighty Avengers #16

Secret Invasion continues from Secret Invasion #4….

Several Months Ago…[2]

Elektra, now leader of the Hand, has arranged a meeting with Electro (Max Dillon). She wants to pay him a large sum of money to stage a break out at the Raft super-max prison. The purpose is to cover up the extraction of Karl Lykos, aka Sauron, for something in the Savage Land.[3] Dillon doesn’t know why they want Lykos and when Elektra curtly suggests she kill him and find someone else, he cowardly says it isn’t that important.[3] How did Elektra come to be like this….?

Several Months Earlier…

The real Elektra Nachios is meditating in her home in Osaka, Japan when she is suddenly approached by a woman who looks exactly like her. She is forced to fight her impostor who discovers that, despite all her martial arts training, she still isn’t skilled enough against the genuine article. Actually a Super-Skrull, this impostor uses the powers of Ghost Rider, the Thing, as well as the ability to fire blue beams of energy from her eyes. This does little to even the odds and Elektra kills the intruder by impaling them on her katana blade.[4] Upon death, the killer resumes their natural form. After tasting her opponent’s blood, Elektra incinerates the body.

She then travels to New York where she hopes to meet with Doctor Strange at his Sanctum Sanctorum. However, before Elektra can get there she is ambushed on the rooftops by two more Skrulls. One in the form of Daredevil with the powers of Cyclops and Nightcrawler and another in the form of Wolverine with the powers of Mister Fantastic. Despite the fact that they got the drop on her, the two are quickly killed by the skilled assassin. However, she is unprepared for a third Skrull with the powers of the Invisible Woman and Colossus who knocks her out. With Elektra defeated, this Skrull takes her place.

Weeks Later

The Skrull impostor — named Pagon — goes to the abandoned warehouse where the Skrull infiltrators meet. There she has a one-on-one with their leader, Veranke, who has taken on the form of Jessica Drew, aka Spider-Woman.[5] They have come to discuss the final phase of their planned invasion of the Earth. Veranke tells Pagon that she must sacrifice herself in order to make the prophecy come to pass. She tells “Elektra” to lure the heroes to her and turn their world upside-down.

One Week Later

A representative from Hydra, unaware that the Avengers have reformed, holds a meeting with the Hand.[6] That’s when Pagon arrives in her Elektra disguise and mocks the Hand for wanting to side with terrorists. Their leader orders her killed, and in a fight she easily slays him.[7] With his defeat, the other ninjas bow down to her and she assures them all that they will all die one day and will do so with the honor they deserve.

… Secret Invasion continues in X-Factor (vol. 3) #33.

Recurring Characters

Elektra (Natchios and Pagon), the Hand, Electro, “Jessica Drew”, Siri, Hydra

Continuity Notes

This cover pays homage to Daredevil #168.
This flashback takes place during the events of New Avengers #1.
As seen in New Avengers #1-5 and New Avengers #41, the reason why the Skrulls want Lykos is to assist with the illegal mining of Vibranium in the Savage Land.
This impaling pays homage to Daredevil #181 when Bullseye did the same thing to the real Elektra.
As revealed in New Avengers #42, Veranke took the place of Jessica Drew circa Giant-Size Spider-Woman #1.
He is referring to when the Avengers have disbanded following the events of Avengers #500-503/Avengers: Finale #1. Although the new team had formed in New Avengers #5, Hydra and the Hand won’t become aware of this until New Avengers #11-13.
Here, “Elektra” challenges the Hand to kill her “again”. She is referring to how the real Elektra had a brush with death in Daredevil #168 and was later resurrected in issue #190 of that series.